Russia Developing New Nuclear Missile

MOSCOW - President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that Russia is developing a new form of nuclear missile unlike those held by other countries, news agencies reported.

Speaking at a meeting of the Armed Forces' leadership, Putin reportedly said that Russia is researching and successfully testing new nuclear missile systems.

"I am sure that ... they will be put in service within the next few years and, what is more, they will be developments of the kind that other nuclear powers do not and will not have," Putin was quoted as saying by the ITAR-Tass news agency.

Putin reportedly said: "International terrorism is one of the major threats for Russia. We understand as soon as we ignore such components of our defense as a nuclear and missile shield, other threats may occur."

No details were immediately available, but Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said earlier this month that Russia expected to test-fire a mobile version of its Topol-M ballistic missile this year and that production of the new weapon could be commissioned in 2005.

News reports have also said Russia is believed to be developing a next-generation heavy nuclear missile that could carry up to 10 nuclear warheads weighing a total of 4.4 tons, compared with the Topol-M's 1.32-ton combat payload.

Topol-Ms have been deployed in silos since 1998. The missiles have a range of about 6,000 miles and reportedly can maneuver in ways that are difficult to detect.

Earlier this year, a senior Defense Ministry official was quoted as telling news agencies that Russia had developed a weapon that could make the United States' proposed missile-defense system useless. Details were not given, but military analysts said the claimed new weapon could be a hypersonic cruise missile or maneuverable ballistic missile warheads.

Now after hearing Bush go on and on about our own missile defense, despite the experts saying it's a waste of money and wouldn't work, aren't you comforted that Russia will develop the missiles to beat our system? And if their technology is stolen or sold? Folks, we're back to Arms Race Millenium version. Russia and the U.S. are building these insane missile defense systems against terrorists...

But...why would terrorists waste the money, time, and effort to develop nuclear missiles? If a terrorist group gets nuclear material the last thing they'll do is develop and test a missile system. Why alert everyone to what you're doing? No, a terrorist group would likely create a portable or shippable nuclear bomb thereby bypassing any missile defense system.

A missile defense system is good only against those countries with missile capabilities. Whom is Russia really arming against? My guess is China and the U.S.. China because of simple strategic reasons and the U.S. because having Bush means having a loose cannon shooting around.

Terrorism has become the new justification. Five years ago Putin would have announced this development using another context. Fifteen years ago that context would have been the U.S. military growth. But now terrorism justifies all policies even if it means stretching things a bit. Prepare to see even more money wasted for missile defense because of terrorism, not, errrr, becuase of Russia's new capability.